Description

Upon completion of this conference, participants will be able to:

1. Define the marginalization of interprofessional healthcare social workers as professional disenfranchisement perpetrated by epistemic injustice.
2. Summarize the key findings of the systematic literature review for the cause and consequence of professional disenfranchisement that informs the theoretical framework of the Empowering Collaborative Solutions (ECS) training program.
3. Explain the seven pillars of the Empowering Collaborative Solutions (ECS) model and how they address epistemic injustice on interprofessional healthcare teams while identifying three implications of the ECS model for advancing social work leadership, professional practice, and reforming interprofessional healthcare.

 

Presenter Bio:

Brandy Harm, LCSW, is a doctoral candidate at the University of Kentucky College of Social Work and a nephrology social worker at Fresenius Medical Care, the world’s largest supplier of dialysis services. Beginning with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the University of Central Missouri and continuing through her Master of Social Work degree at the University of Alabama, Ms. Harm developed a passion for policy and program advocacy to advance justice for vulnerable populations and the social work profession. After gaining many years of experience working on interdisciplinary teams in child welfare, juvenile justice, fundraising management, and medical social work, Ms. Harm sought to understand why social workers are undervalued on collaborative teams.

Her research, focusing on healthcare interprofessional collaboration, uncovers a shocking global trend of social worker disenfranchisement resulting in psychological damage and a breakdown of teamwork that negatively affects patient care. Ms. Harm’s capstone, “Fighting for a Seat at the Table: Advancing Epistemic Justice for the Healthcare Social Worker,” develops a novel framework and interprofessional training program grounded in the principles of epistemic justice and psychological safety for all team members. Advocating against current attacks on the social work profession, Ms. Harm remains a much-sought-after speaker at Fresenius Medical Care, where she provides training to medical professionals on justice-informed patient care. She remains committed to research that shows social workers are the experts best equipped to lead the way in transforming the healthcare system into an epistemically just, collaborative environment.

 

Delivery Method: Live Interactive Training via Zoom Video Conferencing

Credit Hours: 1.0 (ACE)

Target Audience: This conference is intended for social workers and students.

Accreditation: University of Kentucky College of Social Work, Provider # 1377, is approved as an ACE provider to offer social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. Regulatory boards are the final authority on courses accepted for continuing education credit. ACE provider approval period: 9/29/25-9/29/28. Social workers participating in this conference will receive up to 15 general continuing education credits.

Claiming CE Credit: Instructions for claiming CE credit will be disseminated at the beginning of each session.

Questions: If you have any questions regarding CE credit or to report a grievance, please contact Christina Krantz at Christina.Krantz@uky.edu. For technical assistance, please contact lmshelp@uky.edu.

 

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in these presentations are those of the individual presenters and do not necessarily reflect the official policies or positions of the University of Kentucky or the College of Social Work. The inclusion of any topics, perspectives, or discussions is intended for academic engagement and does not constitute endorsement by the institution.